PARAGRAPH WRITING: One of My Abilities

One of My Abilities

There are two things that have allowed me to become a good cook. The first one is that I used to have a small home cooking business. Every day, my family and I would cook for more than 50 people with different preferences and make various dishes to keep our patrons happy. As a result, during the six years we ran the business, I developed the skills needed to prepare a wide variety of Peruvian appetizers, soups, and entrees. And since I was in charge of─among other things─buying the right ingredients to optimize the quality of the food we served, I learned a lot about cooking by regularly visiting the largest market in Lima, my city. Going to such a big market full of so many fresh products was like reading hundreds of recipes to get familiar with thousands of ingredients as part of a crash course in kitchen basics. On the other hand, my four sisters taught me a lot about cooking, too. When we worked together in our home cooking business, they would give me many tips on not only which ingredients to use and in which order but also on how to be faster when cooking. They were able to be my cooking teachers because either they had taken cooking lessons or had worked for good, big restaurants. Even though we do not have the business now nor do we cook together often, watching them cook every time I have the opportunity─and having passionate discussions with them about their cuisine─is always a priceless cooking lesson. To conclude, my having to cook for others on a daily basis in the past and my being exposed to others' cooking skills are two factors that have helped me to become a good cook. I am determined to keep learning how to make new dishes and to improve the ones I have in my repertoire.